Tattersalls’ December Foal Sale concluded in
Newmarket Saturday evening with record figures. The turnover of 28.8 million
guineas was up
24 percent on 2005, the 38,688gns average rose by 34 percent and the 22,000gns
median jumped by 25 percent.
“This has been a truly phenomenal December Foal Sale from
start to finish,” Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony said. “The statistics say it all. Last year’s
foal sale
achieved records for turnover and median and an average that had been bettered
only once.
Equally telling has been the number of six-figure foals which has gone from 32
in 2005 to 67 in
2006.”
Saturday’s sale was topped by a Kyllachy half-sister to Group
1-winning juvenile
Dutch Art (Medicean), who had been bought ‘in utero’ for just 12,000gns at last year’s
December Sale.
Agent Amanda Skiffington paid 280,000gns for the filly — whose dam, Halland Park
Lass (Spectrum), will be
offered Wednesday — after seeing off Angus Gold, Cheveley Park Stud’s Chris
Richardson and
finally Seamus Burns of Lodge Park Stud, who had kicked the bidding off at
100,000gns, to buy
the filly.
“She was beautiful, her X-rays were spotless and she was just perfect
in every respect,” Skiffington explained. “She’s been bought for a syndicate and I don’t know what the
plan will be,
whether she will be resold or kept to race.”
A Galileo (Ire) half-brother to Flying
Childers S. (Eng-G2)
third-place finisher Berk the Jerk, offered by Denis McDonnell’s Parkway
Farm, was sold
for 260,000gns to James Wigan of London Thoroughbred Services. Croom House Stud
owner
Denis Brosnan was the immediate underbidder.
“He’s been bought for a client to
race and will be staying in this country,” Wigan said. “I thought he was a particularly nice
colt.”
A Montjeu (Ire)
half-sister to this season’s listed Hilary Needler S. winner Roxan (Rock of
Gibraltar [Ire]) was
bought for
220,000gns by agent Brian Grassick from Castletown Stud. German agent Ronald
Rauscher was
underbidder.
“She’s for a longstanding client whose been trying to buy some nice
fillies and will
come back to my place (Newtown Stud) before going into training in Ireland,”
said Grassick.
The December Mares’ Sale begins Sunday morning.